CNN Checkout Channel
Country | United States |
---|---|
Headquarters | CNN Headline News |
History | |
Launched | February 20, 1992 |
Closed | March 31, 1993 |
CNN Checkout Channel was a
By 1993, CNN Checkout Channel was carried in 840 stores. Reception to the service was mixed; some were neutral to the concept, while cashiers at its participating stores found the in-store televisions broadcasting its programming to be distracting. After believing that it would be too difficult to make the service profitable, Turner discontinued CNN Checkout Channel in March 1993, and took a
Background
CNN Checkout Channel was first announced in September 1990
The service was conceptualized by Richard Larsen, an
The CNN Checkout Channel broadcast blocks of news programming, interspersed with commercial advertising. National advertising packages with exclusivity in certain product segments were sold in quarterly and yearly packages. ActMedia president Wayne LoCurto explained that advertising rates for CNN Checkout Channel were comparable to those of traditional
The launch of CNN Checkout Channel was meant to provide another platform for CNN content besides television at home; Turner Private Networks vice president Scott Weiss explained that "I think we are reacting to what we believe is an insatiable appetite in our generation for information. They want it live. They want it now, on an instant basis."[5] ActMedia had predicted that CNN Checkout Channel would operate in at least 5,000 stores by 1992, offering at least 60 million impressions per-week.[1] However, by 1993, CNN Checkout Channel was only available at a total of 840 stores covering 17 markets.[4]
Programming
The service broadcast programming in 8- to 10-minute blocks, with advertisements broadcast in between; 8 minutes was calculated as the average waiting time in a supermarket checkout line. News programming would be updated throughout the day, and the network would also be able to present "live in short form" coverage of breaking news events when warranted.[1][6] Michael Rourke, then-vice president of A&P, explained that the televisions could also be used to display in-store content.[6]
Reception and demise
CNN Checkout Channel received mixed reviews; a representative of
Cashiers working at stores that had installed the CNN Checkout Channel found the service to be distracting;[3] in an Associated Press report of CNN Checkout Channel's launch, a cashier told a reporter that the repeating commercials played by the television was "driving [her] crazy".[5] In response to similar complaints, some stores turned down the volume on the televisions to nearly inaudible levels—which at the same time, defeated the purpose of the service by hindering the ability for customers to hear its commercials.[3] Martin Sloane of The Daily Gazette felt that the concept of airing commercials in the checkout line was flawed, as CNN Checkout Channel programming "did not preempt the anxiety of waiting in the checkout line" and that "by the time shoppers glanced at the Checkout Channel, they had already decided what they were going to buy. And they weren't about to lose their place in line to make some last-minute impulse purchases."[3]
In February 1993, Turner announced the discontinuation of the CNN Checkout Channel, taking a $16 million
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Clark, Kenneth R. (September 21, 1990). "CNN Launches Checkout Channel". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ a b c Jensen, Elizabeth (September 26, 1990). "Shoppers Check Out New TV Channel". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f Sloane, Martin (March 31, 1993). "'Checkout Channel' misread checkout lines". The Daily Gazette. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Rice, Marc (February 18, 1993). "Earnings Dip as Turner Shelves Checkout Channel". Associated Press. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f Rice, Marc (February 20, 1992). "CNN's Checkout Channel Lets Shoppers Check Out News While Waiting In Line". Deseret News. Associated Press. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Fish, Larry (February 17, 1992). "Checking Out With TV News; CNN Is Looking For A Super Market Among Shoppers. Now You Can Have TV With Your Tabloids". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2015.